Automatic switch.



PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

E. T. HUMPTON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION ULEB MAY31,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 800,581. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905 E. T. HUMPTON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAYSl, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 800,58I. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905. E. T. HUMPTON. AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1905.

3 SHEETS--SHBET 3.

In E

Stinnes) UNITED sTATEs ELLIOT T. HUMPTON, OF REISTERSTOWN, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed May 31, 1905. Serial No. 263,014.

T all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ELLioT T. HUMrToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reisterstown, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic switches for street-railways, and has for its object to automatically move a switch-point by means of a device attached to acar for actuating mechanism for changing a switch-point, which mechanism is arranged in the road-bed and in suitable relation to the rails.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple yet effective switch which automatically operates when a car is at a predetermined point in advance of the same and one which is devoid of the usual cumbersome mechanism hitherto employed for the accomplishment of this purpose.

My invention consists in such features, details of construction, and combination of part-s as will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

` In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the switch-,operating means. Fig. 2 is a detailed plan view of the mechanism arrang'ed to throw the switch; Fig'. 8, an end elevation; Fig. 4, a vertical section; Fig'. 5, alongitudinal section; Fig. 6, a detail view of the lever employed for operating the switch-controller, and Fig. 7 a plan view of the device in position for use..

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1 represents a portion'of a car-body having arranged on the front or rear platform thereof a longitudinal casing 2, within which is pivoted lever 4, having arms 3. Chains 5 are fixed to each arm of the operating-lever and extend through the bottom of the platform of the car over a series of pulleys 6 and thence to the switch-controlling' mechanism, which will be more fully described hereinafter. One side of said casing 2 is provided in its upper end with a plurality of teeth 7, with which a pawl 8, mounted on the operating-lever, engages when the same has been thrown to either one side or the other. This pawl is so mounted that by operating aspringactuated handle 9 it will when released of itself engage one of the notches in the upper end of the casing 2.

Beneath the car and at any suitable place thereunder I provide a simple bifurcated arm 10, having interposed between its bifurcation a shaft 11, carrying a roller 12, which roller is loosely mounted on said shaft 11 and has on one side thereof a grooved portion 13, into which is fitted a lug 14, carried by a bent arm 15, which arm extends over the bifurcation and is made contiguous with a crosspiece 16. A bolt 17 securely holds this arm in place and permits of any movement thereof. The bifurcated arm has a rearwardlyextending tongue 18 snugly fitting into a boss 19. Its extreme end is fastened in said boss 19 by means of a bolt, and in this manner the bifurcated arm can be replaced in case of wear or for any other reason. Said boss 19 is provided with a series of longitudinal slots 20, which are provided for the purpose of permitting the adjustment of the roller. The cross-piece 16 is provided with a plurality of screw eyes 21, onto which the operatingchains are fastened.

A box 22, substantially rectangular in shape, is placed adjacent the tracks and at a convenient depth, so as to avoid the possibility of the car striking the said box. A cover 23 is loosely laid on said box and is provided with a series of openings 24, through which extend one or more racks 25, having intermediate their length teeth 26, which are arranged to mesh with the toothed wheel 27. This toothed wheel or pinion is disposed between the two racks 25 and is of equal width as that of the racks, so as to give to it the proper strength. Said pinion is carried by a longitudinal rockshaft 26/, loosely journaled Within said boX and arranged to rotate when one of the racks' is depressed by the roller contacting with it.'

These racks 25 are mounted in a plate 27', slidably arranged within said box and movable in guideways 28, by means of which the racks 25 can be removed and replaced incase of breakage or wear. The rock-shaft 26 carries at its extremity an eccentric 28, which has connection with the movable switch-rail. A plurality of pivot members, however, may be attached to the extremity of said shaft without departing from the spirit of this invention, and these may be so arranged that the oscillation of said shaft 26 will cause the movement of the movable switch-rail.

In view of the fact that the two racks project above the tracks wagons and other heavilyloaded vehicles are very apt to ride over the racks and break the pinion or rock-shaft.' In order to avoid this, I provide on the cover intermediate the racks a strip 30, preferably IOO IIO

made integral with the cover ol the box. This, it will be seen, eiiectually prevents the destruction of the racks, since the periphery of a wheel of a loaded vehicle will not rest on both of the racks at the same time, but the weight oil the same will be carried by said strip, while the rack which has just been depressed by the load will rise when the wheel has leit the strip and the weight of the load rests on the opposite rack.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination with a suitable support and aswitch-rail, oi' a rock-shaft journaled to said support and carrying a pinion, racks disposed in Vertical relation with respect to said support and meshing with said pinion, connections between said rock-shaft and switchrail, and means for actuatingone of said racks.

2. The combination with a closed support and a switch-rail, of arock-shaft journaled in said support and carrying a pinion, racks disposed loosely within said support and meshing with said pinion, guides for said racks, connections between the rock-shaft and switchrail, and means for depressing one oi' said racks.

3. The combination with a closed support having' an apertured cover, and a switch-rail, of a rock shaft journaled in said support carrying a pinion, connections between said rock-shaft and switch-rail, racks loosely disposed within said support and projecting throug'h said apertured cover and meshing with said pinion, and means for moving said racks out of engagement with said pinion.

4. In a device of the character described the combination with a main and a branch line of tracks and a movable switch-rail, of a substantially rectangular box arranged in iixed relation to the rails, a rock-shaft journaled in said box and carrying' means for operating the movable switch-rail, a toothed wheel mounted on said rock-shaft and meshing' with a plurality of treadles, said treadles being disposed on opposite sides of the toothed wheel and mounted in a base-plate slidable within said box, roller mechanism arranged to operate either of said treadles and meansfor adjusting the operating' means for depressing the treadles.

5. In a device of the character described the combination with a substantially rectangular box having' a base-cover provided with apertures, of a plurality of racks extending verti cally of said box and projecting through said apertures, a rock-shaft journaled in said box, having' attached means operating a switch carrying' a pinion, said pinion meshing with the racks, means for preventing the simultaneous depression of both racks, and means for depressing one or' the racks comprising a bifurcation carrying a shaft, said shaft being revolubly and slidably mounted thereon a roller, and means for adjusting the height ot' said roller with respect to the racks.

6. In a device ot' the character described, mechanism for actuating movable switch-rail, and means for controlling said mechanism comprising' the combination with a boss iixed to the ear, and a bifurcation removably set in said boss, of a shaft carried by said bifurcation, and having mounted thereon a roller, means vfor shifting said roller with respect to the switch-controlling mechanism, and means for operatingsaid means for shifting the roller from a given point.

7. The combination with a support having' a loose apertured cover and a switch-rail, of a rock-shaft journaled in said support and cai'- rying a pinion, connections between said shaft and switch-rail, a baseplate slidable within said support, racks loosely carried by said base-plate, projecting through said apertured cover and meshing' with said pinion, and means for depressing one ci said racks. n

In testimony whereo'lrl IafHx my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELLIOT T. HUMPTON. l/Vitnesses:

JouxT T. THOMPSON, JAMES J. NUNAN. 

